L to R : Joe Silotto, Dorothy (Dottie) Elder, Richard Lewman: Members of Ernie Pyle Birthplace Committee, c. 1973

Description:	Joe Silotto (L), Dorothy (Dotty) Elder, and Richard Lewman. Dotty was Sam Elders widow who offered the long abandoned birthplace of Ernie Pyle for possible relocation and restoration. A group of presidents of every community organization in Dana was assembled to undertake the preservation in 1974. Joe and Richard were leaders of the committee. Funding was raised first by the American Legion Department of Indiana, then by the Eli Lilly Endowment Fund. A local contractor Morris Wickens moved the house to Dana, and restored it over a new basement at its current location in Dana. The completed work was given to the State of Indiana, DNR and the Indiana State Museum in a ceremony on 18 April 1976, and was operated as the Ernie Pyle State Historic Site until late 2009, when it went NFP as the Ernie Pyle WW II Museum. The structures upper floor was living quarters for the curator, the main floor was furnished in 1900 period style by ladies groups in Dana, and the basement held museum displays and utilities. Joe was Danas postmaster and an Army enlisted WW II veteran. Richard combined two small grocery stores (Regal and Grab It Here), which eventually was Danas last grocery store. Richard was an OCS infantry lieutenant in the Army 63rd Infantry Division in Europe. -Data from Phillip Hess, Vice President, Friends of Ernie Pyle, May 2023 Yes
Created By:	H. Roll McLaughlin
Source:	http://iuidigital.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p17312coll4/id/2366
Collection:	Indiana Landmarks H. Roll McLaughlin Collection
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/
Copyright:	Copyright Indiana Landmarks. Copyright permissions granted for educational use by Indiana Landmarks
Geography:	Dana Commercial Historic District Dana Vermillion Indiana
Subjects:	Built Environment Historic buildings--Indiana Architecture--Indiana single-family dwelling Greek Revival

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